Wire coating apparatus



Jan. 12, 1943. A. N. GRAY WIRE COATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheefl 1 3 arg s 7 Filed May 11, 1940 Jan. l2, 1943. A. N. GRAY WIRE coATING APPARATUS Filed May 11. 1940' 4Shee12S--Sheet` 2 Jan. 129 1943. A, N- GRAY 2,307,925

WIRE comme APPARATUS A F119@ may 11,` 1940 4' sheets-sheet s /Nvf/vron AM 6,9m

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W76 ATTR/VEY jan. 12,1943. A. N. GRAY 2,307,925

WIRE COATING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1940' Q 4 sheets-sheet 4 /NvfA/raf? M GRAY l.er

A TTOWE/ Patented Jan. 1 2, 1943 N UNITED PATENT OFFICE -l 'I =-,i.so1.9z5 l.

WIRE oomsa western mm'filneorporated, 'New York,

' of New York Anriiiitioa time, serial No. :34,524

i acustici.'v (ci. 24a-z5) This` invention relates to wire'fcoating ratus, and more particularly to wire eleotraplat-` Objects oi' the invention are to'provide a y pact, eilicient and conveniently` omtrollable Jap.- paratus for lcoating wires.

One embodiment of the inventigmcontemplates the'provision of an apparatus' forfplectropliimg a metallic coating upon a pluralityot wirsslir multaneously,in which a plurality of wire supply spools are arranged in' a row onv one side o! an will, of course,` depend upon the number of wires that it is desired to electroplate simultaneously.

Therefore, the apparatus illustrated in the drawings comprises ten wire supply spools, onel for each of the ten wires, and ten wire take-up spools,

although only five oi each Aare shownin Figs.

-1 and 2.

At the wire entrance end of the tank, there is provided a set II of wire guiding sheaves, hereelongated tank containing theplating baths, and

a corresponding number of wire take-up are similarly arranged on the opposite side offhe tank, each take-up spool being directly opposite its associated supply spool. Means are provided whereby each take-up spool and its associated supply spool may be controlled independently of the others from either side of the plating tank. A preferred embodiment of the invention is which Fig. v1 is a vention Fig. 2 is'an elevational view thereof, looking from the take-up spool side oi', the apparatus;

individually designated in the drawings by the reference numerals I to Il, respectively..

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the apparatus comprises an elongated tank Il, which houses the usual cleaning and plating baths through which the several wires are drawn simultaneously. The tank is supported by a rigid understructure comprising a pair o! horizontal angle bars I2, I2 fixed to a series oi vertical standards or legs I3, I3. A plurality of wire supply spools Il, Il'are ar" ranged in a row below the tank and along one side thereof, and a corresponding number of wire take-up spools I5, Il are similarly arranged along the opposite side of the tank with each take-up directly opposite a supply spool. wire supply and take-up spools spool positioned The number of plan view, partly broken away, oiv a wire electroplating apparatus embodying the in- 1 sectionalview' taken on line approach the sheaves and in inafter referred to as reversing sheaves, there being one such sheave for each wire. These reversing sheaves are of varying diameters and are arranged :in conical formation, asl shown. Also, they are mounted for rotation about .a cbmmon axis, which is inclined so that the several wires are disposed in a common vertical plane as they a commonyhorizontal plane as they leave the sheaves. Atthe wire exit end ofthe tank, a multig'roovecapstan 20 is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in x mounted upon a hollow pedestal 2l. This capstan is driven by suitable means (none shown) which may be housed within the pedestal.

Above each wire supply spool i4 afwire guiding sheave 2l is' rotatably supported upon-a bracket 25 (Figs. 3 and-5) attached to one' oi the angle bars I2. These sheaves are disposed in a cornmon vertical plane, but at different levels, as

shown in Fig. 2, so that the several wires are maintained in spaced apart relationship as they advance toward the reversing sheaves. On each of the guide sheave brackets 2l, withA the exception o! the one farthestremoved from the re- 1 versing sheaves I1, there is mounted a vertically (Fig. 5) and-one disposed wire guiding roller 21 or more wire guiding bushings 28 there being one bushing on each bracket for each wire that and for convenience in tracing the course o! the ten wires, they are passes that bracket on its way toward the reversing sheaves. The bushings 28v keep the wires separated from each other and the vertical rollers 21 'guide the wires around the brackets 25 which they pass on their way toward the reversing sheaves. A iter passing through the last set of bushings 2l, the wires slope downwardly toward the reversing sheaves, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Above each take-upspool I5 a wire guiding sheave 39 is rotatably supported upon a bracket II secured to and projecting upwardly from one et the angle bars I2. By means of these sheaves the several wires coming from the capstan 2i) are directed to their respective take-up spools. On each oi the sheave supporting brackets 3|. with the exception oi the one farthest removed from the capstan, there is mounted a horizontal wire supporting roller 33 (see Fig. 1). These rollers extend transversely above the tank II and serve to prevent sagging of the wires between the cap-4 stan and the guide sheaves 30.

As hereinafter described more in detail, the 'I several take-up spools are driven by separate belt and pulley drives connected to a common horizontal shaft 35 which extends longitudinally of and underneath the tank, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

This shaft is. joui-naled at one end in.

the pedestal 2| and its opposite end is Journaled in a bearing bracket 3B secured to one of the angle bars I 2. Any suitable means (none shown) may be provided Vfor driving the shaft 35, and this driving means may be housed within the pedestal A reciprocatory wire guide 38 is associated with beach of the take-up spools for distributing the wire thereon in uniform layers. The several wirev guides are attached to and actuated by a common reciprocatory bar 39 which, in turn, is operated in a well `known manner by a double threaded shaft 40 (Fig. 2) geared to the shaft 35. The bar 33 is slidably supported by a seriesof rollers 4i,

4I (Figs. 3 and 4) mounted in guide blocks 42, 42

i attached to the vertical standards I3. l

From the above description of the general araaoa'aao Arbor 3i is axially movable toward and away from arbor 52 to clamp or release the take-up spool.

' A clamping screw 63 is )adapted to be inserted through arbor BI and is equipped with a handwheel 54 for screwingdt into arbor .52, whereby arbor 6I is shifted toward arbor 52 to clamp the supply spool therebetween. VAnother handwheel 65 is provided on the arbor 62 to facilitate manual rotation of the take-up spool, when necessary. Each take-up spool is, however, adapted to be power driven through a belt and pulley drive ccnnection with the horizontal drive shaft 35.y This 'drive connection comprises a pulley 61 on takeup spool arbor 32, a pulley 38 on drive shaft 35, 1

and an -interconnecting driving belt 59.' For each take-up spool driving belt, a belt tighteneris provided which comprises a belt engaging roller 1I (Fig. 3)v carried by one arm of a lever 12, to the opposite arm of which there is connected an adrangement of the several parts of the apparatus,l

This provides a'practical arrangement whereby each oi the several take-up spools with its associated supply spool may conveniently be controlled fromeither side ofthe apparatus, as hereinafter de- As best shown in Fig. 5, each supply Spool I4 is mounted for rotation by being clamped between conical portions 44 and 45 of arbors 46 and 41,

' respectively. These arbors are rotatably Journaled in the vertical standards I3, and arbor 481 is axially movable toward and away from' arbor 41 to clamp 'or release the supply spool. A clamping screw 48 is adapted to be inserted through arbor I6 and is equipped with a handwheel 48 for screwing it intoarbor 41, whereby arbor 46 is` shifted toward arbor 41 to clamp the supply spool therebetween.

A brake drum 52 is keyedto arbor 41 and'a brake shoe 53 is yieldably pressed against the pe-A riphery of the drum to constantly maintain the necessary braking action or drag on the supply spool. lThe bral're shoe is plvotally carried by a horizontal bar 55 which is pivoted at 56 to the .i vertical standard I3. An adjustable spring 51 (Figs. 3 and 4) is connected to bar 55- so as to drum. Opposite ends of the lever project toward opposite sides of the apparatus for convenient manipulation of the leverv from either side of the apparatus for the purpose of increasing orV decreasing the drag on the supply spool, vwhen desired. vA handwheel 58 is provided on arbor 41 to facilitate manual rotation when necessary.

Referring particularly to Fig.. d, it will seen of the-supply spool,

-- supply spool side of the apparatus, while pressing' justable spring 13 'for normally pressing the roller against the belt with suflicient forcel to vapplythe desired driving torque to the take-up spool.

,Each belt tightener vhas associated therewith a manually operable control bar 15 whichis pivotally connected'intermediate its ends to the belt tightener lever 12. Each bar 15 is mounted for endwise movement transversely of the apparatus .o and is provided with a handle 15 at each Vend for the convenient manipulation thereoir from either side of-the apparatus, as best shownin Fig. 3. One end lportion of each bar is slidable in a slotted guide plate 18 depending from one of the angle bars I2. The opposite end portion of each bar has a latch collar 80 'attached thereto which is slidable in a. cooperating latch block BI fixed to the adjacent verticalstandard I3.

l The spring 13 tends to shift bar 15 toward the the roller 1I against thetake-up spooldriving beit sa. sy means ofv either handle 1s, be'r 1s4 l may be manually shifted toward the takefup spool side of the apparatus to thereby retract'- the belt tightener roller, whereupon the barmay Vbe tilted vslightly to interengage a projection I3 v on latch collar 30 with a. cooperating lip portion 4 84 of latch block 8|, whereby the belt tightener roller is locked in the retracted position. Upon releasing the latch collar from the latch block, the spring 13 restores the bar 15 to its original position'as it again presses the belt tightener roller against the take-up spool driving belt.

` From the above description it will be apparent that anyone or more of the take-up spools may be stopped without interrupting rotation' oi.' the others. Moreover, by means of the double han-l died take-up spool control bars 15, each of the several take-up spools is conveniently controllable from either side o! the apparatus, and by means ofthe supply spool brake actuating bars yieldably press the brake shoe against the brake that each take-up spool l5 is mounted ior rota- 4 tion by being clamped between conical portions 59 and Sii of arbors 6i and B2, respectively. ro-

tatably Journaled in the vertical standards I3.` accompanying drawings. It should be lunga.

55, each of the several supply spools is' also con v'eniently controllable from either side of the apparatus. Furthermore, by arranging the taireup spools directly opposite corresponding supply spools. the supply and take-up spool control bars',

55 and 15 for eachwire are 'conveniently accessible for simultaneous manipulation by a. 'single attendant, so that any one of the take-up spools i v and its associate supply spool may be stopped simultaneously and very quickly when necessary, Y

for example, in order to make repairs or replacements. y y

' It is believed that the operation of the appaf ratus will be clearlyl apparent from the above description when read in conjunction with the l l 2,307,925 stood, however, that the novel features of the invention are not limited to the particular embodiments thereof herein illustrated and described,- except insofar as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire handling apparatus, a support, a wire supply spool mounted on-one side of the support, a wire take-up spooLmounted on the opposite side of the support, said wire supply and take-up spools being inaccessible to each other, and manually operable means accessible from either side of the support for` controlling said supply and take-up spools.

2.- In a wire -treating apparatus, a support, a wire Vsupply spool rotatably mounted on one side of the support, a brake for said spool; a wire` take-up spool mounted on the opposite side of said support opposite said supply spool, driving means for said take-up spool, and manually operable means accessible from either side ot said support for controlling said brake and said driving means.

3. In a wire treating apparatus, an elongated support, a plurality of wire supply spools arranged in a row along one side o! the support,

A a separate take-up spool for each supply spool,

said take-up spools being arranged opposite their respective supply spools, and means for indi.- vidually controlling each o! said take-up spools from either side oi' said tank.

4. In a wire treating apparatus, an elongated support, a series of wire supply spools arranged in a row along one side of the support, a series of wire take-up spools, one for each supply spool, arranged in a row along the opposite side of the support with each take-up spool positioned directly opposite its associated supply spool, a separate driving means for each take-up spool, and separate means accessible from either side of the apparatus for controlling the driving means of each of said take-up spools.

5. In a wire handling apparatus, an elongated support, a series of wire supply, spools arranged in a row along one side oi the support, a series of wire take-up spools, one for each supply spool, arranged in a row along the opposite side of the support with each take-up spool Jpositioned directly opposite its associated supply spool, a brake for each supply spool, a driving means for each take-up spool, a manually operable brake control member Ior each supply spool, and a manually operable driving means control member for each take-up spool, said brake and driving means control members being conveniently accessible from either side o! the support.

6. In'a wire handling apparatus, a support, a wire supply spool on one side of said support, a brake for the supply spool, a take-up spool on the opposite side of the support and opposite the supply spool, driving means for the take-up spool, a manually operable member for controlling the brake, and a manually operableV member for controlling the driving means, said brake and driving means control members being conveniently accessible from either side of the support.

ALVIN N. GRAY. 

